Android Pay

Android Pay is a phone app that allows you to use your Android OS phone as a contactless credit card

Following in the footsteps of Apple, Google launched their much anticipated ‘digital wallet’ app Android Pay in the UK on 18 May 2016. You can link the app to your credit and debit cards and spend wherever contactless payments are accepted.

Compare credit cards

You need a compatible credit card or bank account to use Android Pay - find a credit card you could use with Android Pay.

Which banks support Android Pay?

But it’s worth noting that Google state: “participating banks might not support all card types for use with Android Pay. If you have an unsupported card, you can contact your bank for more information.”

Google claim new banks and credit card providers will be continually added to the app.

How to add a card to Android Pay

You need to register your card to your account to be able to spend. To do this you can use the card already linked to your google pay account, manually enter the details of a card, or simply take a picture of a card to ‘scan’ it in.

In all instances you will need to manually renter the CVC security code on the back of your card.

How many cards can you add?

You can add as many cards as you like to your wallet, simply select which card you’d like to pay from your ‘digital wallet’.

How does it work?

Android pay works much like a contactless card. If the till supports contactless payment you can simply hold your phone up to the payment terminal and pay.

You can’t pay for more than £30 per transaction and you will typiclly need to re-enter your pin for every £100 or so spent via contactless payment.

You don’t need to open the app to pay, you just have to open the screen. You will be sent a notification of what you have spent and where.

Is it secure?

It’s as secure as a contactless credit card, if not more secure. If you have security passcodes in place to login to your phone your card details won’t be accessible.

And should you lose your phone you can change your passcode or delete your data remotely with Android Device Manager.

As with ApplePay there is a tokenisation system where your phone creates a unique number for purchases. Your card details are encrypted and are not transmitted when you make a payment.

Fingerprint security is available, but only to those on Android Marshmallow.

uSwitch Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under firm reference number 312850. You can check this on the Financial Services Register by visiting the FCA website.